How Vivienne Tam's Fashion Design Represents Hong Kong Culture

Vivienne Tam : a Western designer with an Eastern touch

Designer Vivienne Tam has received quite a multicultural upbringing as she was born in Canton , brought up in Hong Kong , and eventually settled in New York

She has made a name in the fashion world by being innovative , and having her own distinctive style "I want to design harmonious and beautiful clothing that enhances one 's personality " she says

Vivienne first became famous with her signature collection of Eastern inspired clothing with a modern edge on the New York stage in 1994

After that , East-meets-West style became her trademark and distinctive feature

Pieces of her now classic Buddha collection of 1997 ultimately became part of the permanent archives of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh The Museum of FIT and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York , and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London

Tam 's designs that have been described as simple but at the same time unique in their combination of East and West , traditional and modern have attracted the attention of celebrities including Julia Roberts Goldie Hawn , Madonna , and Britney Spears

At the moment , Tam owns boutiques in New York , Tokyo , Hong Kong , and Kobe , Japan . In November , 2004 , Vivienne Tam opened her second freestanding store in Xian Tian Di in Shanghai , China , and her ninth store in Hong Kong , located at The Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon

One of her recent successes is a partnership with The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group where she is a brand ambassador . Her works will be featured in an advertising campaign to break in spring of 2005 in nationally distributed U .S . publications

Vivienne herself described her style in her book China Chic ' where she dwells on different aspects of Orientalism including fashion , food art , architecture and home dycor . She describes in the book in detail her own crosscultural style that unites Western and Eastern elements Vivienne Tam describes the Chinese style that is native to he rand teaches readers to appreciate the Chinese design and assess the beauty of her favorite Ming chair

Vivienne Tam 's style has always been characterized by distinct feature of Orientalism , or something that is perceived by the predominantly Western public assessing her creations as oriental . Most critics describe her style as eclectic , that is , combining the elements of the Oriental ' and Occidental . Her clothing are carrying the trends similar to the folk Chinese costumes , such as the glistening fabrics and loose cut while remaining attached to the spirit of New York City ' s cultural life

Said 's Orientalism and Barthes ' signifier

Thus , Vivienne Tam 's fashionable art can be linked to the concept of Orientalism described in Edward Said 's famous work Orientalism . Said himself , being of Palestinian descent , had a cross-cultural background

Said defined Orientalism as a way of coming to terms with the Orient that is based on the Orient 's special place in European Western Experience (Said 1979 . Said insisted on the Orientalism being a cultural concept that is conditioned by...